Danish actor Pilou Asbæk is the latest addition to the cast of Dreamworks' "Ghost In The Shell" live action movie.
The 33-year-old star who reunites with "Lucy" co-star Scarlett Johannson in the film has been cast as the character Batou.
Variety reports that the live action movie will focus on "a female special ops cyborg who leads an elite task force called Section 9 for Hanka Robotics. Section 9 is devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, led by The Laughing Man whose singular goal is towipe out Hanka's advancements in cyber technology."
Rupert Sanders of "Snow White and the Huntsman" fame has been tasked to helm the project under Paramount who is on board to co-finance the film. Johansson and Asbæk will start shooting in New Zealand at Wellington's Stone Street Studios on January 2016.
Asbæk will be seen next portraying Pontious Pilate in MGM's remake of "Ben Hur." On the horizon, the actor is also set to appear in the upcoming season of HBO's "Game of Thrones," with the "Ghost In The Shell" live action movie in the works.
Created by Masamune Shirow, "Ghost In The Shell" began as a manga published in the pages of Young Magazine in Japan between 1989 and 1990. It gained global notoriety when director Mamoru Oshii adapted the story into a feature animation in 1995.
The animated feature's success led to a TV series called "Ghost In The Shell: Standalone Complex," airing on Animax in 2002. It ran for a second season bearing the subtitled "Second Gig."
A movie sequel called "Ghost In The Shell: Innocence" followed in 2004 where Asbæk's character took over as the main protagonist. Another sequel called "Ghost In The Shell: Solid State Society" released in 2006.
The latest installment to the franchise is titled "Ghost In The Shell: The New Movie" which released earlier this month.
The "Ghost In The Shell" live action movie opens on March 31, 2017, according to Deadline.
